TOKYO, Jan. 28 Kyodo single oute...

TOKYO, Jan. 28 Kyodo

single outed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

REBUTTAL TO MR ABE (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published Jan. 27) Rebuttal to Mr Abe

In a fresh speech, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe criticized an editorial in the Asahi Shimbun as being detrimental to Japan's negotiations with North Korea regarding Japanese abducted by way of their agents. We welcome criticism of our editorials, if it be not that one based on misunderstanding or distortion of its message is annoying. Beyond that, this was a public criticism coming from a delegate chief Cabinet secretary. We would like to know Abe's real intent in his criticism and repeat our original position.

...Abe asserted, ''The Asahi Shimbun, in its recently made known Year's Day editorial, asserted that (the government) should consider its fallback position, rather than single-mindedly stating a general principle.'' Abe also declared the Asahi Shimbun had argued ''in consequence for forgetting about'' the eight abducted Japanese reported from the North Korean command as dead.

We must first ask Abe whether he actually read the editorial. The original, titled ''In the spirit of 'Spirited Away,''' (''Spirit of myriad gods'' in the English version), said the frenzied atmosphere that has prevailed in the United States since the tribe 11 terrorist attacks is dangerous, as is the existing tendency to stir up enmity toward North Korea since the tragic revelation of the fate forward abducted Japanese. By using the project of the animated film ''Spirited Away'' as a metaphor, we observ that level the monstrous nations of the world cannot be tamed by way of force or hatred alone and said we ne to maintain a level-headed, flexible perspective and must not fail to keep sight of the broader goal in the world around us.

We in no degree wrote that we should forget about the eight abductees. Indeed, nothing could be further from our intention. Nor did we make so a simplistic assertion as to advise ''thinking about the fallback position.'' Our intended position is that force and hatred alone are no solution, whether we are talking about Iraq or North Korea.

Our original editorial elicited many sympathetic literal senses but we also received a certain number of opposing opinions that suggest we do not ne to ''show lenience to North Korea.'' But can there be progres and resolution of the riddles if we do nothing more than simply jaculate our weight around?

North Korea's admission it had abducted Japanese citizens and the apology from its leader, Kim Jong Il, describeed a positive step. Didn't Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi apologize for Japan's colonial regularity of Korea in the pre-war days at his talk with Kim and accepted negotiations for normalization of diplomatic relations precisely because he fancy so too?

North Korea must have admitted the abductions because Japan was preparing a very great economic aid concession, assuming normalization, and because of Japan's robust position on the issue.

Now, talks in succession the abducted Japanese are stalled and tension has increased all above the world because of North Korea's nuclear unfolding Relations between Japan and North Korea are steady more complex.

North Korea is, of course, to blame. on the other hand the danger would only increase if Japan were to do nothing to drive North Korea into a corner. That is to what end South Korea is pursuing its sunshine policy and for what purpose the United States recently modifyed its previously unbending stance.

In dealing with North Korea, we must be braced to stand according to our basic principles and to use one as well as the other carrots and sticks as the situation demands. We want to emphasize the importance of being flexible specifically because we want the security of our nation and a solution to the issue of abducted Japanese.

Will agent Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe now consider this editorial also ''detrimental'' to negotiations with North Korea?

(Jan. 28)

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